Category Archives: Speyside

A Mix of Malts – Highland explorations

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During our Schottland Whisky Forum weekend getaway in October, everyone brought an interesting bottle. There was a remarkable mix of malts – particularly from the Highlands!

On the 1st day I spent most of my time exploring whiskies from the Single Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), an exceptional elegant Glen Grant 5-year-old from 1975, and a special release from Deanston.

On our 2nd day, I focused on a range of Highland distilleries before shifting to peaty whiskies.

  • Jura “Anam na-h Alba” 9 year (19 Oct 20009 – 08 Apr 2019) Bourbon Hogshead Cask No 700993 58.1% bottle 276 of 279
  • Glenmorangie Midwinter Night’s Dram 43%
  • Edradour 2007 18 year Cask Strength (Nov 2007 / Jan 2021) 59.2% 1,362 Bottles
  • Old Pulteney 14 year (27 May 2008 / 9 Jun 2022) Cask No 24 initial maturation Refill Botto Bourbon Hogshead, finish 24 months Fresh Sherry Butt 56.8% Bottle 404 of 663 

So.. let’s start with the Highland from the 1st day… the Deanston…

Deanston Chronicles Edition 1 46.3%

I had no idea what to expect with this one. It had been a while since I tried an “OB” (Original Bottle) Deanston – most have been from independent bottlers. So I was curious to try – especially as it was a special release. I later learned it was a mix of four casks from four decades -1977 Whisky Refill, 1994 ex-Madeira, 2004 ex-Amontillado, and 2011 ex-Bourbon – wow!  

  • Nose – Incredibly fruity, fresh orchard fruits, some apricots, baked red apples, toffee, some vanilla, sweet spices, a bit peppery
  • Palate – Is that red wine tannins? Red apple peels? Some Lebkuchen? Swirl it around and catch a variety of flavours… hmm mmm?

What a curious yet interesting malt! Absolutely marvelous on the nose, it was a bit odd on the palate. However many were quite taken with it. 

Sometimes we have certain prejudices – I will admit that Jura just hasn’t been my kind of distillery dram. This is exactly why I thought – time to test if THIS would be the expression that changes my mind! Spoiler alert – it wasn’t!

Jura “Anam na-h Alba” 9 year (19 Oct 20009 – 08 Apr 2019) Bourbon Hogshead Cask No 700993 58.1%

  • Nose – VERY maritime, lots of fresh sea spray, some waxy elements, forest
  • Palate – The prick of a cask strength, direct with no depth
  • Finish – Some spice and that’s it 

Overall it did not impress and reminded me why I’m not such a Jura fan. 

After our recent reminder that Glenmorangie IS much more my style, I was curious to try one of their NAS expressions.

Glenmorangie Midwinter Night’s Dram 43%

  • Nose – Exactly as expected – a lovely light sherry dram, some orange joined by plum cake, with some nutty notes too
  • Palate – Soft, sweet, and creamy milk chocolate
  • Finish – A light spice with some ginger

It wasn’t a “stand-out” dram, instead just a proper palate pleaser. A nice transition from the disappointing Jura to even more interesting drams to come.

What more do we know? It was 1st released as a Limited Edition in 2015 and again for Christmas 2017, using Bourbon and Oloroso casks, partially finished in PX Sherry casks. 

My tasting companions were raving about the Edradour – so I simply had to join their experience! Edradour is known as a small distillery, devoted to traditional methods and producing some mighty fine results with some firm fans out there. 

Edradour 2007 18 year Cask Strength (Nov 2007 / Jan 2021) 59.2% 1,362 Bottles

  • Nose – Light fruit, loads of ripe plums, blossoms, honey, vanilla, shortbread, lemon sponge cake, 
  • Palate – Starts with a nice spice, some fruits – even tropical like papaya, waxy, red currents, nuts, a truly lovely balance, smooth
  • Finish – Light cinnamon and ginger, very soft and comforting til the end

This is one beautiful whisky – restrained and elegant. Well worth trying – classic and quality hand-in-hand. My scribbles also described this as a “snuggly whisky” which cues up a comfort dram. Fabulous!

After such an enjoyable experience, it was a tough dram to follow. Being a bit of an Old Pulteney fan, my eye was drawn to this Signatory bottle…

Old Pulteney 14 year (27 May 2008 / 9 Jun 2022) Cask No 24 initial maturation Refill Bourbon Hogshead, finish 24 months Fresh Sherry Butt 56.8% Bottle 404 of 663 

  • Nose – Quite pronounced sherry! That 2 years in Sherry Butts really came through in the aromas! With Sherry influence came all the “usual suspects” – Christmas pudding, lots of prunes, sweet spices, and more
  • Palate – Heavy and rounded
  • Finish – Full and long, closing on ginger snaps!

What a marvelous and powerful dram. I have a funny feeling this one could do with a drop or two of water too! 

Lest you think I was being a complete lush – the drops you see in the photos were all that was consumed. Literally, a small splash in the glass to tease out some impressions. With some, I also lingered, taking my time – like the lovely Edradour! All in all, I’m very appreciative both of the opportunity to meet fellow whisky explorers and spend a weekend discovering a dram or two together.

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Whisky Show 2023 – Lindores Abbey, Balvenie, Helsinki, Meikle Toir

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Call this the “Odd Bins” section of my London’s Whisky Show 2023 tasting notes. Part of the fun of exploring whiskies with a regular tasting companion is the convergence and divergence of tasting experiences. 

I had an opportunity to introduce a new Lowland distillery – Lindores Abbey – to my tasting companion, building on my experience from a Masterclass at The Messe in Nurnberg.

Equally, my companion shared the craze around the latest Balvenie 19 year “A Revelation of Cask and Character” which had completely sold out in London over the hype! 

We also found ourselves distracted near the end of our day together with a detour to Helsinki, Finland before settling on our final dram of the day – GlenAllachie’s new peat expression Meikle Toir!

Ready to join us on our wanderings? Warning – none are proper tasting notes, instead mere documentation of our tasting travels…

We began with a newer Lowland distillery with their latest limited release. Their first “The Friar John Cor” expression sold out immediately! I had a chance to try at The Village in Nurnberg earlier in the year, but was suffering so much from dental issues that I headed practically straight home after the Lindores Abbey masterclass. 

Lindores Abbey The Friar John Cor “The Cask Strength Congregation” Chapter 2 Bourbon, STR & Peated Rum casks 60.9% 

I skipped tasting this new The Friar John Cor however was happy my companion tried both their core expression and this one. At cask strength, it could pack a punch however my tasting companion found it surprisingly approachable. It took a whiff and thought it had a lovely sweetness with some earthy peat elements too. This comes from the cask combination of ex-bourbon, STR, and peated rum casks.

The Balvenie 19 year “A Revelation of Cask and Character” 47.5% GBP 309

We then moved on to the latest craze – a new 19 year old release from Balvenie. Curiously this whisky apparently sold out as soon as it was released! Sometimes whisky hype surpasses reality. In this case, knowing we would be tasting this dram the next day at home, I didn’t even attempt it – just took a whiff and thought “pas mal”, preferring to wait another day to give it proper attention. 

And we closed our day, we snuck in two more drams.

Helsinki Rye Malt Release #14 American Virgin Oak + Rum Cask Finish 47.5%

What did we find? It was unpeated, a bit funky but fun. Think of rye bread with some caramel. Then joined by fresh pine? On the palate, it was quite heavy and oily, revealing a decided rum quality – reminiscent of an Agricole rum. Quite different.

Meikle Toir 5 year The Chinquapin One 48%

GlanAllachie has decided to go in a peaty direction – in a consistent way with their Meikle Toir brand. With a completely separate website. it is their new big pursuit (ie Meikle Toir) with a focused devotion to peat. As I knew trying all four wasn’t going to happen, I asked which is the ONE to be tried above all others? And was directed to The Chinquapin One.

What did I discover? A lovely sweet peat – quite a gentle smoke. It reminded me a little of toasted raisin bread with a dash of cinnamon. I would certainly need to spend more time and a different setting to discover more.

Here is what they have to say:

Coming in at 35 PPM, the whisky has a sweeter style of smoke character owing to the mainland peat from St. Fergus used to kiln the barley. After a lengthy 160-hour fermentation, the whisky has a complex character which stands up well to ageing in virgin oak casks.

  • Nose: Smoldering oak embers, burnt liquorice and honey, with ginger, butterscotch and orange peel.
  • Taste: Cocoa, crème brûlée and toasted almonds, with cinnamon, aniseed and campfire smoke.

As for the others? They will simply have to wait another time to be explored…

With that, our Whisky Show experience of 2023 came to a close!

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The Whisky Exchange Exclusives at London’s Whisky Show 2023

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The Whisky Exchange are the folks behind London’s Whisky Show 2023. So how could we wander out the doors without sampling at least a pair of whiskies bottled exclusively for them? It would be sacrilege, right?

However what to pick from a plethora of options? We decided to contrast young with old, unfamiliar with familiar, affordable with aspirational!

Let’s start with the newbie… Dalmunach from Speyside. Dalmun whaat you may say? You can be forgiven for not instantly recognizing this new distillery founded by Chivas Brothers (aka Pernod Ricard). Built in 2014 by the River Spey on the site of the demolished Imperial Distillery, it is not even 10 years old! Which, as we know, in Scottish whisky terms is barely a toddler! Interestingly, Douglas Cruickshank led this build, and, having previously worked at the Imperial Distillery, tried to preserve some elements of Imperial’s design features. How that translates into the whisky experience is yet to be fully understood.

Dalmunach 6 year old “The Wulver Edition” 60% for ~GBP60

So what about this young upstart dram? I’ve got “yum” written all over! Peaches and cream, mocha and butter biscuits, some orchard perfume on the nose. And for the palate? More depth than expected, a nice nuttiness accompanies the fruits – now more like apple sauce than fresh crunchy apples plucked from a tree. It finishes with a dusting of sweet cinnamon spice. Dee-lish!

What more do we know about this particular bottling? It was matured in American oak barrels and is The Whisky Exchange’s 1st edition Dalmunach. As they put it, the label was inspired by the Wulver:

a fearsome yet benevolent figure said to fish along the shorelands of the Shetland Isles.

Though it was just a small sniff and swish, I will keep my eye out for more opportunities to explore Dalmunach expression further!

And the other end of the spectrum? We knew what to expect with Glenfarclas.

Glenfarclas 25 year “The London Edition” (2023) 50.5% GBP 300

The aroma was a lovely dry sherry, quite nutty, joined by vanilla cream on top of a warm pumpkin pie. On the palate, it was full and robust – some oak joining the Christmas pudding. There was also some salted caramel, and found it both buttery and jammy. It had a darker finish with a hint of coffee bitterness. What a fabulous reminder of why we are rather partial to Glenfarclas!

Here is what the folks at TWE have to say:

Made at Glenfarclas distillery and matured in oloroso sherry casks for a quarter of a century before being bottled to celebrate The Whisky Exchange’s 20th Anniversary. Aromas of meadow flowers, baked apples, barley sugar and buttery brioche fill the nose, developing into earthy coffee and sweet raisins. The palate opens with notes of fruit cake, salted caramel and rich oak, developing buttery pastry, raisins and fruity espresso flavours and dry waxiness.

This bottle features a specially-created label, designed by our creative director Raj Chavda to pay tribute to London’s vibrant hospitality industry.

What fun! I made a mental note to try to get to The Whisky Exchange exclusives earlier in the day next year… though closing with choice options like we did in 2023 also worked!

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Aberlour without sherry? Could it be true?!

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“How many drams do you have still in you?”

That was how we were greeted when we reached one of the whisky stands late in the day at  London’s Whisky Show 2023, It was a legitimate question. There is a point where whiskies and impressions begin to blur, and appreciation of the one becomes challenging in the cacophony of the many.

However, the temptation to keep exploring was strong and I am so glad that we did not miss the Aberlour stand. I was recently reminded of how enjoyable their Sherry Bomb A’Bunadh is, so was rather intrigued by their new line of ex-bourbon casks – with no sherry in sight!

We were in excellent hands as Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank guided us through a lovely pair which led to a 3rd option too!

Aberlour A’bunadh Alba ex Bourbon Batch 7 58.9%

Much as I enjoy a good sherry-matured whisky, my heart falls for a brilliant ex-bourbon! The A’bunadh Alba was fruity, honeyed, a touch of vanilla on the nose – basically the kind of nuanced sweet that gets me every time. On the palate, I found pineapple – bringing a bit of zip and zing! It was nicely rounded and closed with a sweet slightly peppery finish. My last scribble? “Super fab!” So… clearly I enjoyed this one!

What do the folks at Aberlour have to say?

Meaning ‘the original’ in Gaelic, A’bunadh Alba is made in homage to Aberlour’s founder, James Fleming. Abunadh Alba is matured in ex American Oak resulting in an aroma of ripe red apples, along with honey, vanilla and a hit of cinnamon. Abunadh Alba is bottled at cask strength resulting in a sweet whisky with a creamy texture.

Aberlour 18 year Sherry Cask Finish Batch 1 48%

Then from ex-bourbon, we shifted back into the traditional Aberlour territory of sherry. Here I found plums, toffee, and all the lovely sherry elements of dried fruits, berries, and sweet spices. On the palate, the dried fruits carried through – particularly dried figs, more toffee, and sweet Christmasy spices – especially cinnamon, can also see the oak influence. I’ll be honest, I wish I had more time and quantity to slow down with this one. Here my closing note was “Comfort food!”

I tried to find out more on their website, however, it doesn’t seem that the 2023 expression has further details published yet. We understand it began with American and European oak casks and then it was finished in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. 

Aberlour Casg Annamh 48%

My immediate reaction was – what a wonderful classic sherry Speyside whisky! It simply had the perfect balance between all the expected elements. I particularly enjoyed the liquorice – which I had found in either the ex-bourbon or mature 18-year-old just experienced.

As my notes stopped at this point, I thought to see what more the good folks at Aberlour have to say about this new expression? 

Translating as ‘Rare Cask’ in Gaelic, Casg Annamh is created from a limited number of carefully selected casks. These Spanish oak Oloroso Sherry casks/butts have a significant influence on the non-chill filtered liquid and perfectly complement Aberlour’s distillate flavour, bringing sweet and rich notes. Casg Annamh is a distinctively rich Single Malt providing adventurous malt lovers with the ideal introduction to Sherry cask matured whiskies.

  • Nose – Rich and sweet with fruity notes of tangy orange, glazed cherries, raisins and a hint of ginger. 
  • Palate – Sweet and fruity flavours of apple and cinnamon crumble and ripe peaches balanced with spicy notes of liquorice and cloves.
  • Finish – Long and rich. Fruity with a touch of dry spice.

It retails in the UK for a very reasonable GBP 65.

What a treat to spend a bit of time with Graeme and be introduced to three lovely whiskies. Thank you London Whisky Show 2023!!

Are we Aberlour fans? Yes! Over the years we have enjoyed :

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London’s Whisky Show 2023 – BenRiach 21 year and Malting Season

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We were at the ‘less is more” stage of our London Whisky Show 2023 explorations. Just a select duo per booth, a little listening and learning, and then moving on. After an interesting pit stop at the Diageo counter, our next pairing was reserved for BenRiach.

We were guided through two options – the 21 year and Malting Season. Earlier in the day, we had sampled the remarkable 31 year MacBeth Thane “Mentieth” expression. So how did the OB expressions fare? 

BenRiach 21 year 46%

My tasting notes were a bit limited I’m afraid. I just captured how much we enjoyed the sweet and peat interplay in the aromas together with finding it much sweeter on the palate, a veritable fruit bowl, rich and elegant, followed by a puff of smoke on the finish. This tends to be what we find and enjoy about BenRiach and it was lovely to revisit a 21-year-old expression.

What more do we know? 

Master Blender Rachel Barrie used a combination of unpeated and peated spirit and four casks: bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks, and Bordeaux red wine casks. In Europe, it can be found for ~€175.  

BenRiach Malting Season First Edition, Batch 3 (2023) 48.7%

Here too, my tasting notes were brief. However, clearly, I enjoyed it! We found it fruity and fun on the nose, smooth sweet, and satisfying on the palate – very fruity yet with substance. I don’t recall any peat in this expression – which is also perfectly fine!

What more do they share?

Benriach Malting Season is the first expression in a century to be produced entirely using barley malted from our Speyside distillery’s historic floor maltings. The first edition of Benriach Malting Season is two-cask matured in bourbon and virgin oak barrels to bring out the wholesome, creamy flavour we find in the distillery’s floor malted spirit, giving a beautiful barley gold colour to the liquid. The expression boasts a rich aroma of barley sugar, almond fudge and poached orchard apple with smooth, rounded flavours of vanilla and honeyed pear, with a lasting nuttiness of slowly kilned malt.

The first edition of the small batch release is comprised of 23 barrels, all distilled on 2nd November 2012, yielding 6672 bottles in total.

In Europe, Malting Season expressions can be found for ~€100.  

Here is a picture of others that we skipped… too much malt, too little time!

If you are curious about other BenRiach tasting experiences, we have had quite a few over the years:

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Diageo’s Glenkinchie and Mortlach 2023 Special Releases

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There is a stage when you are at a Whisky Festival where you no longer have the capacity to consider exploring a full range. Instead, the approach is much more selective. It becomes a question of “If I were to try only one, which should it be?” Because even when you sniff, swish, and spit, there are limits.

What follows are whiskies that were all sampled later in the day at London’s The Whisky Show 2023. Where one was better than none, but everything was starting to muddle together after 30+ different tasting experiences. As I was with my favorite tasting companion – one becomes two – with different mini pours for him and myself.

After a bit of a change of pace, we made a beeline to the Diageo area in hopes of sampling the Clynelish. Alas, it wasn’t available there, so we instead were offered a rather nice Glenkinchie and interesting Mortlach.

Glenkinchie 27 year ‘The Floral Treasure’ 58.3% 

What did we think? 

  • Nose – Lovely floral elements, joined by light spice, a hint of leafy green, and some berries. It then shifted to become slightly more vegetal, a hint of sour joined the earlier sweet perfumes
  • Palate – Here the orchard elements come through more – think baked apples with vanilla cream, which then shifts to something a bit deeper with the oak pushing through
  • Finish – Quite dry
  • Water – Yes, please! Made it brighter, and lighter, and rounds out all the elements, a lovely citrus came forward  

There was a spring-like quality to this – both the freshness of new growth and the wet earthiness, old grass and leaves revealed by the melting of snow. From apple blossoms on the nose, we switch to a warm applesauce on the palate.

What more do we know? It was part of Diageo’s Special Releases 2023. Of course, Glenkinchie is from the Lowland region in Scotland and this expression was aged in a mix of refill American and European oak barrels and butts. Oh – and the price – it clocks in at a hefty €390. 

Mortlach ‘The Katana’s Edge’ (2023) 58%

  • Nose – What melon! Then saline, heavy, curious
  • Palate – Decidedly umami, again there was a “heavy” quality and spicy, reminiscent of an oolong tea, had some oomph! 
  • Finish – Started on the umami side then shifted to sweet
Also from the Diageo Special Releases 2023, this Speyside Scotch finished in Kanosuke Japanese whisky and Pinot Noir casks and retails for ~€290.  

I personally felt that Diageo really ‘upped their game” this London Whisky Show 2023, It was a case of “less is more” with carefully selected options. This time, it wasn’t a challenge at all to interact and learn more about what they are trying to achieve with their 2023 Special Releases.  

If you are curious about other tasting experiences with these distilleries, I’ve had only one brush with Glenkinchie  – their 12-year-old. Whereas with Mortlach, most of my explorations have been with independent bottlers with only two “OB” expressions!

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London’s Whisky Show 2023 – Single + Single

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In our planning for our one day at London’s Whisky Show 2023, I insisted on including Single & Single in our explorations. A newer entrant into the indie bottle scene, they have been around since 2000. After a bit of a quieter period, they are back with striking labels and getting their word out. 

On offer was their Alter Ego Range described as:

At Single & Single, we are renowned for our adventurous pursuit of uncompromising whiskies. We take pride in crafting spirits that not only delight your palate but also captivate your imagination. Our Alter Ego Collection, with its distinctive photographic character labels, is a testament to our commitment to engaging you on a deeper level.

We believe in making our whiskies memorable for you. That’s why we’ve chosen to tell our story through captivating characters. These characters serve as the key to unlocking a world of flavour and intrigue just for you.

We tried their full range of five, starting first with Glen Garioch…

Glen Garioch 10 year (2012)  Bourbon barrel, 1st Fill 52% 673 Bottles

This was one powerful dram – a burst of aromas on the nose and full flavours on the palate. Quite rewarding and impossible to ignore. Not quite why, but I jotted down “The Pogues” – somehow this dram reminded me of the band!

What do they have to say?

With this whisky, tradition is there to be toyed with. From the honey-sweet nose all the way through to a palate packed with cinnamon, fruit and barley, and on to its long herbal finish, this dram reinvents and refreshes. What you have here is an era-agnostic celebration of classic styles; an age-old approach that focuses firmly on the future. 

We were then guided to a pair of HIghlands to contrast and compare…

Highland 14 year (2008) Oloroso Sherry Barrel, 1st Fill 52% (yes – it is the one on the left!)

Fabulous! Rich, robust, full of fruits, quite juicy on the nose. Take a sip and be rewarded with big bold sherry flavours, round and full, tapering into a strong finish.

What they have to say:

A whisky that demands immediate respect, you’re bound to be captivated by this compelling dram. The nose leads with saltiness and soft sultanas before being joined by baking spices and dried fruit on the palate, then wafting off in a long, sweet finish. You might never discover exactly what this spirit is, but you’ll never forget its incredible allure. 

We then compared it with a different Highland – same vintage and also sherry!

Highland 14 year (2008) Sherry Butt 52% 748 Bottles (the above bottle on the right)

Delicious dried fruits on the nose, spicier and yet also had a lovely understated quality. The dried fruits follow through on the palate, also joined by sweet spices, and some marmalade, and then eased into a rather tasty finish.

I remember slightly preferring one of the other – I think it was the Olorosso however can’t be 100 sure as they were both good. 

What they have to say:

There’s something about this authentic, assured whisky. Quietly confident, it is by no means typical. With a complex flavour profile that shifts from hints of orange vanilla to cinnamon and spice, it might come off as a little eccentric. Maybe it is, but if you try to judge this dram by its cover, you’ll only be fooling yourself. 

Next up was a sassy young Linkwood.

Linkwood 7 year (2015) Château Larose Barrique, 1st Fill 52% 642 Bottles (Single + Single)

This one stood out for me. The aromas were old fragrant slightly floral candles, lemons, and simply delicious! Much like what I find with many Linkwoods – a delight on the nose and no push-over on the palate. Substantial, creamy, waxy, wonderful with some spice joining the nutty nougat… dessert in a glass. 

What they have to say:

Enticing and enigmatic, this whisky stares straight at you, unflinching. Fragrant, floral and grassy on the nose, it turns increasingly sweet on the palate with marzipan and almonds, before ending dry and citric. Upfront and beautiful, it’s got a glint in the eye that’s incredibly beguiling, if wholly unconventional.

Then we closed with a Tullibardine…

Tullibardine 8 year (2014) Château Margaux 52% 274 Bottles 

The aromas were full of citrus and berries. The palate is spicy, with the citrus shifting from lemon to orange, and more… I think I caught a bit of the wine element with some tannins and found it had a rather dry oaky finish. Pucker up and enjoy!

What do they have to say?

Dabbling in duality and layered with nuance, this whisky shifts perceptions from the start, with an explosion of lemon sherbet, red berries and marzipan on the nose. Take a sip and there’s custard, plum and orange zest before spice and hints of oak linger on the dry finish. A dram that defies labels, it’s charming and unapologetic, a contrast unto itself. 

What was our conclusion? As attractive as the labels were, the liquid reigns supreme – and in this case, it was a clear “thumbs up!” In terms of markets, I doubt I will see this in Germany anytime soon as they seem to be focusing attention primarily on the UK, France, South Africa, Taiwan, and South Korea in Asia.

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Glen Grant 5 year old (1975) – a remarkable “old” whisky with a “young” vintage

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The Glen Grant is a Speyside distillery that produces two ends of the spectrum: mass-market affordable and accessible expressions like The Major’s Reserve (recently sampled as a calibration dram) to exceptionally rare and exclusive releases such as the 70-year-old “Devotion” tribute to Queen Elisabeth II, with only seven bottles in the world!

Even more remarkable, their Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, has worked 62 years in the Scotch whisky industry! He shares:

“Our younger [expressions] have a nice surprise. They are a voyage of discovery. But the older ones are more soft, gentle, and sophisticated. And I think that’s the same with people. As you get older, you get softer, more fragile, more delicate, I suppose. Spirits are the very same.”

I had the great fortune to try a couple on the very mature side – a 60 year and  64 year. Yet euqally have heard remarkable things about some of the “young” in vintage yet “old” in age expressions.

This is why I had my eye on a special Italian release Glen Grant 5-year-old from the 1970s at London’s The Whisky Show for my Dream Dram token! Alas, it turned out it was not available, so imagine my amazement and delight to discover a bottle at a special Schottland Forum weekend getaway – wow!

There was only a little remaining, so I took only the smallest of splashes so others could also experience something so rare! What did I find?

Glen Grant 5 year (1975) 40% (Italian release)

  • Colour – Pale straw
  • Nose – A fresh, clean aroma, a hint of lemons, elegant with light notes of heather and honey. Young? Of course! Yet has a lovely warm quality with vanilla and something a bit nutty and creamy too after the 1st sip
  • Palate – Oh wow! Very waxy, with some apples and herbal elements, something almost a touch “off”, and yet also smooth, reminded me a bit of cider
  • Finish – A hint bitter, quite short

The aromas were vintage yet fresh, really quite entrancing. I could have spent time just nosing and nosing! However, the palate wasn’t quite to the same caliber. Given it was a mere five years maturing in oak casks – from nearly 50 years ago – I think we can cut it some slack! I was tempted to pour another splash to explore further… however restrained myself and moved on to the next dram.

Naturally, for something so rare, you can only find it in auctions and specialty dealers. I have no idea how much it could be – however, spotted a 2014 auction for Eur 200. Given that was nearly 10 years ago and prices for rare whisky have sky-rocketed, I am even more grateful for the opportunity to experience it.

For such a giant in the whisky industry, I’ve only sampled a few Glen Grant over the years with:

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Scotch Malt Whisky Society

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In whisky circles, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) stands out as one of those special groups spread around the world with local societies. For forty years, the Society has encouraged whisky aficionados to explore the world of whisky through SMWS releases with their inventive and humorous descriptions! 

Nowhere on the label is the distillery disclosed, however, their numerical codes are an “open secret” with fans knowing what each represents or… cheating by looking them up! 

During our Schottland Whisky Forum weekend getaway in October, there were several SMWS bottles brought to share. Over the course of two days, I splashed small samples of each into a nosing glass and glimpsed their character. 

95.64 (Auchriosk) “Sweet and Rummy, Good for the Tummy” 11 year (2 Aug 2006) 62.9% 213 Bottles Approx Eur 83

There is a danger in starting off with something spectacular… everything else that follows pales by comparison. That was exactly my experience with this Auchriosk. Matured for eight years in ex-Bourbon casks, followed by three years refill Trinidad rum, launched for SMWS France members. What was the result?

  • Nose – Very merry, rummy, nummy, starts with heavy dates, and raisins, then shifts into juicy fruits and mashed bananas, some cinnamon, a touch of coffee, and nuts joining the rum raisins
  • Palate – Needs time to open up, then becomes absolutely delicious, sweet rum raisins, then shifts into a sweet treat, delightful! 
  • Finish – Cinnamon candy

I absolutely loved this one! Take your time… as I sat in the autumn outdoors, was happy to just sniff my near-empty glass, lingering over this one…

However, my tasting companions were raving about another dram so I found myself wandering back into our main room to select my next dram.  

112.59 (Inchmurrin) “Kaffeepause in der Möbelfabrik” 13 year (27 Dec 2006) 63.2% 251 Bottles Approx. Eur 75.

From the name alone, you know this expression was released specifically for Germany! It translates into “Coffee break in the furniture factory” and is exactly the kind of dram you want to slow down and have a break. From Loch Lomond, it began its journey in ex-Bourbon Hogshead then was finished in Heavy Char new oak Hogshead. 

  • Nose – Instant coffee, then opens to a fresh rich mocha, as it further opened, took on a lovely perfume with fresh herbs and honey – lovely! Underneath, there was apple sauce and toffee… over time even a bit of hot chocolate with marshmallows!
  • Palate – Shy at first, sober, thick chocolate, wood, spice, syrupy sweet… weighty and balanced, great mouthfeel… like silk rolling around the palate, delicious
  • Finish – Yum! Mocha joined by lebkuchen with a distinctly ginger  
  • Water – The initial reaction was hmm…. it dampened the delicious aromas. However on the palate? A delicious coffee spice – like an indulgent frothy decadent coffee dessert

Again – a remarkably good dram. One that made you want to slow down and simply enjoy. So I did just that… kicked back and relaxed. 

68.20 (Blair Athol) “Ginger Beer in a Champagne Flute” 11 year (2 Aug 2006) 54.7% 305 Bottles 

Blair Athol tends to use sherry casks, however, in this case, the whisky was matured solely in refill ex-bourbon Hogshead. So what did we think?

  • Nose – Sour, stewed fruits – maybe apricots?
  • Palate – Also a bit odd – had expected a bit of sparkle and spice, instead it was a bit nondescript…. so what there ginger beer? Yes… with some dry cookies too. What about champagne? Nope.

To be honest, this one didn’t quite catch my fancy. Nothing wrong, but nothing that really stood out. You can tell just from my scant-tasting notes alone that it didn’t really leave much of an impression. So, I stopped at a few drops and moved on…

1.237 (Glenfarclas) “Suave & Plush” 7 year (26 Feb 2013) 60.7% 228 Bottles Was originally released for £55 (now out of stock)

So I decided to shift gears to where the SMWS journey all began – with Glenfarclas – hence its #1 status! In this case, the bottle details share that it began maturing in an ex-bourbon, then it was finished with a 1st fill ex-oloroso sherry hogshead.

  • Nose – Initially a bit muted, then opened to raisins or figs, a dash of green pepper
  • Palate – Some spice, plums, young yet flavourful
  • Finish – Long with a hint of coffee

 

4.286  (Highland Park) “Kirkwall Skink” 11 year (29 Oct 2009) 62.8% 258 bottles

What was unusual about this Highland Park is no ex-sherry cask – either for the main maturation or finish. Instead, it lived initially in an ex-bourbon barrel followed by finishing in a 1st Fill ex-bourbon. This led to some confusion in my tasting companion – who found none of the expected Highland Park elements… So what did I find?

  • Nose – Initially tinned peaches, some apple, missing the typical HP heather, yet still had a fresh meadow element, more than that was the maritime ocean spray chassed by a twist of citrus
  • Palate – Some power here – clear it is cask strength! Again – different than expected til we realized there were no sherry influences. Instead, it had some lovely mineral qualities, more maritime, with some sweetness joining some herbal elements too
  • Finish – Was that a puff of smoke at the close?
  • Water – initially adds a waxy character, and starts to reveal a lovely herbal honey, with something deeper – especially on the palate. The closest I could come to describe it was olives – a combination of the olive brine and umami elements.

Not such a bad way to wind things up. For me, the Auchriosk and Inchmurrin were the real highlights – very happy to have an opportunity to try them!

I’ve had a few SMWS experiences previously:

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Whisky Show 2023 – Hunter Laing

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We had just been blown away by the Linkwood 31 year and BenRiach 31 year of the Macbeth series at London’s Whisky Show 2023. What could follow that?

We were about to head back upstairs but were distracted by Hunter Laing‘s rather interesting array… and I was so glad that we did! There we discovered one of the most memorable drams of our day! After three generations in the whisky business, there is no doubt these folks know their stuff. 

Auchriosk 11 year (2011 – 2023) 46% 360 Bottles (Hepburn’s Choice) Eur ~58

It was robust yet approachable on the nose with berries and brioche. There was a lovely fruity palate joined by dark red grapes. The finish was dry and the overall impression was of an early evening treat.

Dailuaine 13 year (2008 – 2022) 46% 816 bottles (Hepburn’s Choice) Eur ~61

We moved on to the Dailuaine which was sweet with loads of pineapple on the nose, juicy fruits on the palate – like a fruit pastille. And the finish was long and sweet. This was a joyful dram and most enjoyable.

We then moved on to The Old Malt Cask series – trying just one! 

The Glenrothes 16 year (2006) Refill butt 50% 750 bottles Eur ~173

We clearly had a “juicy fruits” theme going on – as this too had loads of fruits, however in this case more plump raisins than orchard fruits. We caught a few heavier notes too – perhaps some mocha? We then went in for a sip… to be rewarded by a powerful yet balanced dram. More of those raisins, some spice, and everything nice, followed by a long finish.

Our guide insisted we could not leave without trying one particular whisky from their The First Editions line – so named as their expressions are aged in a Single Cask. 

Cragganmore 26 year (1995 – 2022) Sherry Butt 54.7% 570 Bottles EUR 320

  • Nose – The initial whiff was of old wood, like an antique. Then we were rewarded with rich, full sherry, yet this was not just a powerhouse “sherry bomb”, there were layers of nuance, with treacle and a hint of mocha.
  • Palate – Marvelous! Phenomenal mouth feel, rich, and oily, with raisins and ginger. Absolutely gorgeous, mature, and complex
  • Finish – What a finish! It lingered long after sipping, nice dry oak

Wow! We had not expected such a wonder. A worthy finish to our Hunter Laing stop indeed!

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